Fukuno Michitaka Kasama-yaki handpainted red, cream and black guinomi

From renowned Japanese Kasama-yaki artist Michitaka Fukuno, perhaps my single favorite shuki artist of all time, this unique triangular guinomi has the perfect capacity for evening sipping and a highly complex, nostalgic and calming brocade fabric pattern that is handpainted with his precision around the exterior, revealing the original grain of the clay only at the foot. The Kasama artist community is located about 60 miles north of Tokyo, and is as diverse as its members, who all craft different styles of pottery from the same sources of local clay. 

A potter in Kasama since the 1990s, Fukuno originally apprenticed to the master potter Motohiko Ito before establishing his own base. From here, he seeks a kind of harmony in his work, and a finish that at time resembles fabric in its skilfully achieved texture. Fukuno’s mind is a riot of colour, but one that is tightly controlled and delivered to sometimes intricate and imposing forms. Always retaining a warmth, the combination of pattern with the skill of craftsperson is an element that makes Fukuno’s work special to observe, and to own. - Kasama Pottery Association